Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 38711 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38711 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
Wayne grinned. “And here I thought this would be a boring job. Sit tight. Don’t go anywhere.”
The team backed away from the property line and fanned out, melting into the woods.
The dog had collapsed in the living room, right on the edge of the rug. The nechist pondered him, unsure. As Roman strode into the room, the melalo waddled over to the iron hound and slapped Trigger’s nose with his wings.
“No hazing!” Roman snapped.
The melalo darted behind the couch.
“If he does that again, bite him.”
The dog whined softly. Blood dripped from the two bolts embedded in his hide.
Roman knelt by him.
On the blankets, the kid lay unmoving. The German Shepherd had woken up and was watching Trigger. Didn’t get up to get a sniff though. Interesting.
“We’re going to do this quick.”
Roman grasped the shaft of the bolt sticking out of the dog’s back and jerked it free. The dog snarled.
“Hey, you came to me, remember? You ran into the house. Just one more.”
Roman grabbed the other bolt and yanked it out. The dog jerked and whined but didn’t snap.
Outside, twilight had fallen, and the fireplace didn’t illuminate much, but he served the god of darkness. His night vision was better than a cat’s. Darkness was home, shelter, and friend, and if he needed light, he could always make his own.
Roman turned the bolt over in his hand, examining the arrowhead. A black Annihilator broadhead, steel, shaped like a triangle cut out of a circle with convex curves. Reusable, durable, could be resharpened in the field. Most bolt heads cut slits into the target. This one punched holes.
He turned the shaft. A spidery script wrapped around the bolt, written in silver permanent marker. This was a military incantation, designed to activate once the bolt launched from the crossbow. He’d wondered why it cut through the dog’s iron fur like it was butter.
None of the jokers that had come up to the house looked like active Military Supernatural Defense Unit personnel, and even if they had been at one time, using military incantations on civilian bolts was against the law. Most likely one of the local MSDU mages was moonlighting, selling enchanted bolts to the highest bidder. Or maybe they had a veteran who’d retired.
Roman clicked his tongue. This was a good deed that begged to be punished.
But the dog required attention first.
“Let’s see if you qualify for the Black Volhv special.” Roman set the bolt aside, rubbed his hands together, and cracked his fingers.
Magic swirled around his fingers, clinging to them like dense smoke. His mouth shaped the Russian words, suffusing them with power.
“Oh, Chernobog, God of Bone,
In the name of Darkness, in the name of the Final End,
Grant your creature your strength,
Heal the wounds and make it whole.”
The darkness slipped from his fingers, clutched the dog, and seeped into the open wounds. The flesh knitted itself closed.
Roman petted the dog’s head. “Congratulations. You’re evil enough.”
The dog stared at him, puzzled.
Evil in the pagan world was a relative term. Evil in the human world was not.
The window in the kitchen creaked, and a tiny bird flew into the room and perched on the table. Kor flicked his ears. Roman looked at him. The korgorusha closed his eyes into mere slits.
The bird shifted from foot to foot. It was barely five inches long, with gray on its back, a white throat and belly, and a cap of light, reddish brown.
“Dobry wieczór,” Roman said.
The brown-headed nuthatch opened his beak and Dabrowski’s voice came out. “Good evening to you, too. Look at you, a full menagerie.”
Yeah, he was one to talk. “Is that a new bird?”
“He’s Popper’s son, from last year’s clutch.” The druid’s voice vibrated with pride.
“Very handsome.”
“He is. And such a good boy.”
“What brings you to my neck of the woods?”
“Some heavily-armed dickheads showed up at my place asking about you.”
Well, at least someone on that crew had some brains. A smart soldier did his recon. “What did you tell them?”
“I mostly talked about how I love my trees while braiding my vines into fancy shapes around them. Trees need good fertilizer, you see. And human bodies make really good fertilizer. Very nutritious when properly processed. I also mentioned that I personally don’t bother you unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
“Thanks,” Roman said.
“Do you need help?”
“Nah. I’ve got this.”
The kid’s eyelashes trembled slightly.
“Let me know if you change your mind. Last I saw, they were going up the road to see Schatten next.”
“Really? Why would they do that?”
The little bird laughed. “I may have sent them that way.”
Yes, and Ludwig would love that. “You know how he enjoys visitors.”
“Oh yes, he’s a regular Martha Stewart, that one. The soul of hospitality.”
A distant blast thundered.
“They found Schatten!” The druid cackled.
“Damn it.” Roman frowned.
“What?”
“I owe him twenty bucks. I told him that magically rigging those IEDs would never work.”